Master’s Degrees in Public Policy
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Education Levels of Public Policy Majors
During the most recent year for which data is available, 3,213 people earned their master's degree in public policy. This makes it the 55th most popular master's degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in public policy at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 3,213 |
| Graduate Certificate | 298 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 260 |
Earnings of Public Policy Majors With Master’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a master's degree in public policy is $58,341. This number may vary for a lot of reasons. For instance, you may decide to move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $49,383 to a high of $64,530.
Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a master's degree in public policy is $40,732. The school you go to and how long it takes you to graduate, among other things, can cause this number to vary. The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $52,155 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $31,330.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their master's degree in public policy. About 57.7% of graduates with this degree are female.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 1,360 |
| Women | 1,853 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of public policy master’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 227 |
| Black or African American | 272 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 370 |
| White | 1,558 |
| International Students | 552 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 234 |
Most Popular Public Policy Programs for Master’s Degrees
There are 119 colleges that offer a master’s degree in public policy. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
University of Chicago tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree. Each year, around 17,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $61,179 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $65,145 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 259 people received their master's degree in public policy from UChicago. About 55% of this group were women, and 34% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Georgetown University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 19,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $61,872 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $56,592 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 201 people received their master's degree in public policy from Georgetown. About 39% of this group were women, and 29% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 3rd most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Harvard University. Each year, around 30,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $52,659 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $52,456 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 172 people received their master's degree in public policy from Harvard. About 50% of this group were women, and 31% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 4th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Roughly 47,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,454 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $25,894 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 122 people received their master's degree in public policy from U-M. Of these students, 57% were women and 26% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Southern California comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 46,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $63,468 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $63,468 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 108 people received their master's degree in public policy from USC. About 55% of this group were women, and 33% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - Berkeley is the 5th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 42,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,564 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,700 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 108 people received their master's degree in public policy from UC Berkeley. Around 41% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 65% were women.
The 7th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is The University of Texas at Austin. Roughly 50,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,698 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,036 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 99 people received their master's degree in public policy from UT Austin. About 64% of this group were women, and 38% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 8th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Maryland - College Park. Roughly 40,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,695 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,238 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 98 people received their master's degree in public policy from UMCP. About 53% of this group were women, and 33% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 9th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Princeton University. Each year, around 7,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,410 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $57,410 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 97 people received their master's degree in public policy from Princeton. Around 37% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 55% were women.
University of Virginia - Main Campus comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 25,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $18,059 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,382 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 89 people received their master's degree in public policy from University of Virginia. Of these students, 57% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 11th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Liberty University. Roughly 93,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,467 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,893 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 81 people received their master's degree in public policy from Liberty University. Of these students, 48% were women and 31% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Duke University is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 16,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,435 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $60,220 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 76 people received their master's degree in public policy from Duke. Around 17% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 58% were women.
George Mason University comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 38,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,795 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,426 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 74 people received their master's degree in public policy from GMU. About 37% of this group were women, and 36% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 14th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of California - Los Angeles. Each year, around 44,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,564 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,700 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 70 people received their master's degree in public policy from UCLA. Of these students, 63% were women and 47% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Roughly 52,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,006 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,468 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 69 people received their master's degree in public policy from UMN Twin Cities. Of these students, 45% were women and 21% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
George Washington University is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 27,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,856 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $33,930 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 62 people received their master's degree in public policy from GWU. About 49% of this group were women, and 32% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Carnegie Mellon University is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Roughly 13,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,864 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $47,629 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 62 people received their master's degree in public policy from Carnegie Mellon. Around 27% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 56% were women.
Brown University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 9,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $62,680 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $62,680 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 59 people received their master's degree in public policy from Brown. Of these students, 62% were women and 27% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Brandeis University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 5,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $61,724 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $55,104 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 58 people received their master's degree in public policy from Brandeis. About 69% of this group were women, and 28% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - San Diego comes in at #20 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 39,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,564 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,700 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 57 people received their master's degree in public policy from UCSD. Around 20% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 51% were women.
Public Policy Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| 2,882 | |
| 118 | |
| 81 | |
| 73 | |
| 59 |
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to public policy that offer master’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| 11,807 | |
| 1,042 | |
| 567 | |
| 248 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By The Official CTBTO Photostream under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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